Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. A Document written in the Latin language was found, after the Revolution of 1640, in the Secretary’s office, styled, Counsel given the King Philip II. when the enterprise against the kingdom of Portugal was in deliberation. This document, truly Ma- chievelian, had been in the possession of the Count Palatine, and is cited in Birago’s History. It consists of nineteen articles each recommendatory of a particular line of policy, and all, with one exception, of consummate iniquity. My limits do not allow me to transcribe more than seven of them, but they will suffice to give an idea of the kind of counsel which sovereigns, called christian, receive, and in some instances, rely on, for the maintenance of unjust dominion.
The acquisition of Portugal will facilitate the creation of a universal empire. To gain kingdoms no other right is requisite but that of force.
The incorporation of Portugal with Spain will render it very easy to bridle Germany, to subject France, to reduce the naval power of England, to intimidate the northern powers; and your potent majesty will be enabled to circumnavigate the world freely, to spread colonies, to make commercial arrangements, to conquer lands, and finally, to gain every thing worthy of empire. And although the things undertaken are arduous, state precepts persuade that there never was a fitter opportunity.
Let the kingdom be happy and quiet for some years, in order that those who at first were inimical to Spaniards, seeing the easy yoke of Spain, may have the desire to be incorporated and united with the latter, in whatever mode it may be done.
Between them (the members of the Braganza family, and the grandees of Spain,) introduce enmity, so that amongst enemies discord may spring up, and amongst your frie…
